Eclipse
by Artemis Rae
Summary: Don't look directly at it. Five ladies named Joo Dee.


**Title**: Eclipse  
**Rating**: K+  
**Summary**: Don't look directly at it. Five ladies named Joo Dee.  
**A/N**: Spoilers for the latter half of Season 2, if such warnings are needed.

* * *

**I. Ning**

"_Sins of our fathers, sitting idly by while they take our land, our possessions, our flesh_ -!" The constant crowd of people streaming the streets cut a large swath for a ragged young woman, clearly a recent refugee, whose calm voice belied the utter insanity behind the words it carried.

A lone customer smiled wryly at the shopkeeper, who was staring unabashedly through the window at the distraction with complete exasperation. "I see Ning is at the top of her game today, eh, Meng?"

"Not for much longer," the shopkeep grumbled back at her, receiving and weighing the small bag of herbs. "I've notified the Dai Li about her. My sympathy for the refugees runs deep only if they're not scaring off my customers."

Coins exchanged hands, and his customer laughed. "I don't know how scary she is. She's really not telling us anything we don't already know."

"We don't need the reminder," Meng lamented. "And especially not outside my shop."

It was with great satisfaction that he later watched the men in green robes approach Ning and offer her a new, safer home – one away from the Fire Nation devils, at Lake Laogai.

* * *

**II. Xia**

Her heart was racing as she navigated the crowd, trying not to arouse suspicion and focused on the comforting weight now in her pockets. Ba Sing Se had been a disappointment for the little refugee family. She spotted the alley that led to the squalid apartments she knew so well -

And then a firm hand wrapped around her arm, above her elbow, and she knew that she was in trouble.

Turning her head, she met the gaze of the two older men, both clad in the green robes that marked the Dai Li.

"You have something that doesn't belong to you, right, miss?" The agent's voice was soothing, almost pleasant.

"Pl-please!" she stuttered. "Please, I'll return the fruit, just don't tell my parents, please!"

"You'll have to come with us," the agent said, not unkindly. "The king is keeping careful track of these sorts of incidents and we'll have to file a report at our base."

"My parents?" Xia whispered. The weight in her pockets now felt like chains.

"We won't notify them," the agent promised. Then, with a slightly optimistic smile added, "This is to help you citizens in the long run. Trust us. We're just making a quick trip out to Lake Laogai for the paperwork."

* * *

**III. Mingyu**

"And you should have a warm bed to sleep in and clean water to bathe in." Mingyu sat still and let her mother prattle on as she tried to scrub even the smallest speck of dirt from her daughter's face. "You know they're not letting the king live in such conditions, and even if it's not in the palace itself, entering into service for the king will get you a nicer home than here in the outer ring."

Mingyu nodded solemnly and said nothing in contradiction. In honesty, she was comfortable with her little life in the outer ring – or had been, before the influx of refugees had accelerated, and what had once been hard but decent living had just become hard.

When her mother had returned home from shopping one day and said that the Dai Li were screening young ladies to work in the palace, she knew a ticket to the inner ring had been given to her.

Still, she was nervous about leaving home for the first time. "What's going to happen?" she whispered to her mother, trying not to wince as a comb was yanked unceremoniously through her hair.

"A couple of Dai Li agents are going to arrive," her mother explained, the pride overflowing in her voice. "And then they'll take you for training at Lake Laogai."

* * *

**IV. Hai-Ju**

"This is the second time you've come to me with such a request, Lord Hsu." The room was dark, lit mostly by the fireplace. Long Feng drummed his fingers impatiently against the arm of his chair. "One would think you would have learned your lesson the first time you tried to sneak such favors from your servants."

"I did! I thought – I thought she was different." Long Feng watched the sweat gleam on the nervous man's forehead. "I thought she could keep quiet, but she's threatening to tell my wife, and my wife's father – he – it – _I just need her gone_."

"If we remove this girl from your service then we would be doing you a favor, Lord Hsu. _Again_," Long Feng reminded him, as if the thought wasn't already weighing heavily upon the prostrated man. In all reality, it wasn't that big of an inconvenience, and they could always use one more girl, but Long Feng would never risk losing that edge. Especially not when he had yet to call in the favor from the first time.

"I know," Lord Hsu practically moaned. "I _know_. But you are an honorable man, and I will repay my debt as you decide."

Long Feng said nothing for a long moment before sighing and waving a hand. "She'll be gone before breakfast. You're dismissed."

The lord left gibbering thanks. Long Feng waited until he was out of the building before calling forward two agents and ordering: "Go to the Hsu estate and find the servant girl named Hai-Ju. Arrange transport to Lake Laogai."

* * *

**V. Biyu**

The neighbor's baby was screaming that night, which was the only reason that Biyu was awake to see the sight: a thought-extinct air bison, flying over Ba Sing Se!

Raised on a farm before she and her family had fled to Ba Sing Se, her fascination with animals had never diminished. Her excitement carried over the next day while she worked, waiting tables at a local tavern. "Did you see it?" she asked customers, and no matter their reply she launched into her story, rhapsodizing about the beast and his outline against the moonlight.

Eventually her enthusiasm proved infectious - by lunch, people were asking _her_ about the bison instead of the other way around. In the middle of the rush Biyu was pulled aside by a Dai Li agent while her manager gave them all a stink eye.

"We understand you saw the wind buffalo in the sky late last night," he said solemnly.

Biyu nodded, more than a little intimidated by the men in green robes.

"The Dai Li have been tracking it and have been unable to catch it – you understand the destruction an animal of that magnitude could accidentally unleash on our city?"

Wide-eyed and clutching a tray against her chest, Biyu could only nod again.

"We would like for you to accompany us to our base and speak with our leader about what you saw. It's possible you could help us track it down again so we could set it on its right course."

"Oh!" Biyu exhaled hard, a giggle nearly rising up her throat. "Of course! I thought I was in trouble!"

The agent smiled. "Not at all. Long Feng is waiting to speak with you at Lake Laogai. That's all."


End file.
